The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

                                                           

Title: The Heretic's Daughter

Author: Kathleen Kent

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Synopsis: Salem, 1752. Sarah Carrier Chapman, weak with infirmity, writes a letter to her granddaughter that reveals the secret she has closely guarded for six decades: how she survived the Salem Witch Trials when her mother did not.

Sarah's story begins more than a year before the trials, when she and her family arrive in a New England community already gripped by superstition and fear. As they witness neighbor pitted against neighbor, friend against friend, the hysteria escalates -- until more than two hundred men, women, and children have been swept into prison. Among them is Sarah's mother, Martha Carrier. In an attempt to protect her children, Martha asks Sarah to commit an act of heresy -- a lie that will most surely condemn Martha even as it will save her daughter.

This is the story of Martha's courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived. - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I haven't read about the Salem Witch Trials in a long time. Like many my age in the US, I read The Crucible in high school and went to our school production of it as well. Then I read more about the trials when I was taking US history in college. I have always found it horrifying and yet incredibly intriguing.  

This novel did not disappoint. I love that the author is actually a descendant of Martha Carrier because I think that reminds the reader that while this is a work of fiction, unfortunately, the Salem Witch Trials were devastatingly real. 

I liked that this novel didn't focus on the people of Salem but on a family that lived in a nearby town. It shows how the lunacy and fear spread, and how if you did not fit the social norms or if you weren't friends with the right people, your family could still be accused. 

I also thought that it was a great choice for the story to come from the perspective of Martha's daughter, Sarah. Having a child's view of the events from outside Salem gives a unique twist that doesn't make this novel feel like just another Salem Witch Trials book. Be prepared to cry.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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